Disney Confirms New Restaurant for Italy Pavilion at Epcot

WDWNT Author on January 25, 2010

From the Disney Parks Blog:

Great news – especially if you share my passion for amazing pizza. An authentic pizzeria will be opening at Italy Pavilion at Epcot later this year and it’s an attention-grabber.

The new 300-seat restaurant will have traditional Florentine architecture, vaulted-ceilings and outside dining. And the food will be authentic — Italian dishes (complimenting the offerings at Tutto Italia) and pizza from wood-burning ovens.

The pizzeria will be the newest flagship restaurant in the Patina Restaurant Group’s portfolio. And one of the special touches at the Epcot location will be the water. It’ll be imported from a source where the composition most resembles water used in Naples, Italy, to make the authentic Italian dough.

A name for the family-style pizzeria has not been finalized but we wanted to share this information with you first on the Disney Parks Blog. Construction is currently underway and the restaurant is scheduled to open in fall 2010. Check back for more updates.

This announcement confirms the WDWNT report from last week. There is no word yet on if the restaurant will carry the Naples name as originally reported.

Adam Roth’s 1/3/10 Mini-WDW Report

WDWNT Author on January 7, 2010

Our good friend Adam Roth of WDWCelebrations has provided us with some newsworthy photos from the Walt Disney World Resort and his latest visit:

The Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station at the Magic Kingdom is being refurbished for the return of the Fireworks Dessert Parties in the spring

A pizzeria operated by Patina, the same company that operates Tutto Italia, is being constructed in the Italy pavilion at Epcot

The Pizzeria will be in the very back of the pavilion

The Refreshment Port at Epcot will be serving “Latin Flair” dishes while the Catina de San Angel is closed for a few months to be remodeled

“Lights of Winter” at Epcot Officially Retired

WDWNT Author on November 11, 2009

The popular “Lights of Winter” holiday display at Epcot will not be returning this year. The Disney Parks twitter had the following to say about the change:

The Lights of Winter at Epcot has been enjoyed for years. But (technology) to operate the lights is obsolete, prompting us to retire the lights.

To replace the offering with something new, the Disney Parks Twitter then announced the following:

Debuting at this year’s Holidays Around the World at Epcot is a new gospel choir, “D’Vine Voices” – Nov. 27 through Dec. 26.

The dancing light arches of “Lights of Winter” have been a part of the “Holidays Around the World” program since it debuted in the early 1990’s, but the technology was easily surpassed a few years ago when the Osborne Family Lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios began to dance to music every 15 minutes. This change comes on the heels of the 2008 departure of the tree lighting ceremony at Epcot. Expect the passage to World Showcase to be rather un-festive this year.

Little Chef Looks to Stay at “Les Chefs De France”

WDWNT Author on August 24, 2009

While many have reported that the special dining program featuring the “living character” of Remy from Disney-Pixar’s Ratatouille meeting and greeting guests at the Les Chefs De France restaurant in the France pavilion at Epcot would be coming to an end this fall, a recent listing on the Disney Auditions website says otherwise:

Disney Auditions is seeking male and female comedic improv actors for Bon Appetit with Chef Remy, performed inside Les Chefs de France in Epcot® at the Walt Disney World® Resort, near Orlando, FL. Strong candidates should have subtle timing, be capable of working alone and have puppetry experience. Bilingual actors fluent in French and English, are desired. Some French speaking is required.

The popularity of the program has been undeniable and it looks like they will continue to have the “little chef” cooking up fun in France for the foreseeable future. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as we get more information on this breaking story.